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Following the release of the Justice K Hema Committee Report, which revealed pervasive sexual assault and discrimination, the women have levelled grave accusations against several people in the Malayalam film industry. A court in Kochi, Kerala, on Thursday night, granted anticipatory bail to actor and two-time CPI-M legislator Mukesh, as well as former general secretary Edavela Babu of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes. The two had been arrested by police on charges of sexual assault by a former female actor.
They were booked under Sections 354 (assaulting or employing criminal force against a woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 509 (insulting a lady’s modesty with words, noises, gestures, or objects) of the Indian Penal Code. Mukesh was given anticipatory bail by the Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court last week, in addition to receiving temporary reprieve from arrest until its final orders. Similarly, Babu was granted bail.
The Malayalam film industry has been experiencing turmoil since the release of the damning report by the Justice K. Hema Committee on August 19. The committee looked into the working conditions of women in the industry and revealed shocking information that led to a wave of complaints against prominent actors.
Kerala Police have so far registered FIRs against 11 people, ten of which are from the film industry based on the complaints from female actors. Those who are in the dock after the police registered FIRs, include actors Mukesh, Nivin Pauly, Siddique, Jayasurya, Edavela Babu, and Maniyanpilla Raju, directors Ranjith and V.K. Prakash, and production executives Vichu and Noble. Actor Baburaj and director Tulasidas have been named in complaints too, but no FIRs have been registered against them so far.
Meanwhile, the special investigation team of 7 police officials, of which four are woman IPS officers, are currently taking statements from those victims who have come forward with their complaints but are yet to question the accused.
In a related development on Thursday, the Kerala High Court’s acting Chief Justice A.Muhamed Mustaque ordered the formation of a special two-member bench of Justices A.K. Jayasankaran Nambiar and C.S. Sudha to look into all cases which will be registered based on Hema Committee report.
Meanwhile, the powerful Producers Association, in its first reaction to the explosive report, on Thursday expressed its concern about how ‘fake allegations are coming.’ The association said, “The stage is such that with the Hema Committee report coming out, anyone can make any allegations and that will not augur well for the civil society and hence, the state government should take note of this. The whole purpose of the Hema Committee also could take a beating.”
(With IANS inputs)
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